Yeringberg Shiraz 2008
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2014-
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Yeringberg produces serious wines, made to mature gracefully with time in the bottle and can always be expected to reward those who have the patience to wait. While always enjoyable when young, they also have the quality to develop into rich, elegant, mature wines. The reds especially have the structure and balance to ensure longevity and the white wines from supreme vintages live years longer than most Australian whites.
The winemaking process is as simple as possible, resulting in natural rather than over-worked wines. Marsanne, Roussanne, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the Cabernet family of wines are each handled differently to enhance purity of fruit flavors and "terroir" influence, but all complete their maturation in French oak barrels in the original underground cellars. Marsanne and Roussanne go into older barrels to produce an unoaked style, while a percentage of new French oak barrels among the old are used each year for all the other young wines.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
As the most important area of wine production in Victoria today, the Yarra Valley is most popular for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which account for over half of vineyard acreage. A gentle, rolling and rural region alongside the Margaret River, the Yarra Valley has a cool maritime climate with a lengthy growing season, perfect for these cool-climate varieties.
Two styles of Pinot Noir are possible here. The warmer Lower Yarra Valley with sandy, loam soils, produces plush and fruity Pinot Noir while the cooler, higher-elevation Upper Yarra Valley with soils of young red basalt, produces more angular and mineral-driven Pinot Noir.
Yarra Valley Chardonnay is among the best in Australia. To preserve the floral aromatics and fresh citrus flavors for which this area’s Chardonnay is so appreciated, time in barrel is restrained (though barrel fermentation is common). The best Yarra Valley Chardonnays display brilliant acidity, leesy characteristics, citrus, stone fruit and flavors of ginger and spice.
Shiraz and Cabernet find success in parts of this region as well.